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INTRODUCTION
This survey of commercial CD-ROM titles is based on the same methodology applied in four previous annual surveys(1-4) allowing for consistent data to be used for comparisons. The survey provides a statistical profile of material available on disk as of mid-1991, and discloses some trends in the development of the medium since 1987. The basic source of data was the annual printed directories to CD-ROM disk titles:
Desmarais, N. (ed.) CD-ROMs in Print 1991: An International guide. Westport, CT: Meckler, 1991.
Mitchell, J. (ed.) The CD-ROM Directory 1991. 5th ed. London, UK: TFPL Publishing, 1990.
Shelton, J.H. & Webb, J.A. (eds.) Optical Publishing Directory: 1991-1992 Edition. Medford, NJ: Learned Information, 1991.
These were updated to June 1991 using Norman Desmarais' "Supplement to CD-ROMs in Print" section in CD-ROM Librarian magazine. All four sources were examined to compile a comprehensive list of the CD-ROM disk titles covered by these directory sources. It is worth noting that a substantial number of unique CD-ROM titles were found in each of the four sources; no single directory has comprehensive coverage. All three certainly have reasonable coverage, however; and together they provide a good picture of clearly visible CD-ROM titles Currently available for purchase.
A total of 1951 unique CD-ROM titles were finally identified, and eleven variables (such as subject, type, update frequency and price) were coded for subsequent analysis. Where there was insufficient data provided to code a minimum of three variables, the title was excluded from the survey. Most of these exclusions were demonstration disks, non-commercial titles or some of the many new CD-ROM titles now originating from Japan.
AVAILABLE TITLES
The number of CD-ROM titles in print continues to grow rapidly, approximately doubling annually (Figure l). Based on printed directory listings, we would expect about 4,000 readily available commercial CD-ROM titles to be available by the middle of 1992. The Optical Publishing Association has forecast a total of 3,389 commercial titles worldwide as early as the beginning of 1992, and 6,438 by the end of this year(6). If accurate, this forecast suggests that more databases will be available on CD-ROM than online by 1993, which would be quite a remarkable development for a medium now only seven years old. Figure 2 graphs the Optical Publishing...